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10
10 Interview
Interview Questions
Questions for
for Managers—and
Managers—and
How
How toto Answer
Answer Them
Them
by Blair Glaser
Updated 6/27/2024

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Interviewing for a management position? Be ready to tackle those typical interview

questions for managers. Even if you’ve never been in a managerial role before, you’ll
want to clearly demonstrate to the recruiters your leadership skills and philosophy.
:
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This article will reveal 10 management interview questions you should reflect on and
be prepared to answer during the hiring process (in addition to other common
interview questions, of course).

Your prospective employers might not ask every one of these, but preparing to answer
them will surely help you gain clarity on your strengths and the way you approach
:
management and leadership—so you can communicate your capabilities with ease no
matter what question you’re answering.

The more interviews you get, the better your chances of getting hired—
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What
What to
to know
know before
before your
your management
management
interview
interview
Before we get to the common questions for management interviews, let’s start with a
few things you should know going in.

Be ready to tell stories

Don't underestimate the power of telling a good story to show your talent as a
potential manager or leader through action.

Even if you haven’t been a manager before, you’ve still demonstrated leadership in
many situations. For instance, training others, managing projects, motivating
colleagues, contributing ideas, thinking strategically, and holding others accountable.

Take some time to reflect on your work experience and jot down significant moments
when you led. These are the basis for your stories, which should reveal one or all of
the following:

A time when you influenced and encouraged others—and what was your
approach

A situation where you and a team were successful and what your contribution
was

A time when your problem-solving and/or delegating skills directly impacted

:
 others

Make sure you highlight the right skills

Consider what skills are required for the job you’re interviewing for and especially
focus on the stories that show you developing or using these skills. Lay out your
stories in a coherent way by defining the problem, explaining how you arrived at a
solution, and describing how you implemented it.

Once you’ve collected a handful of tales, you’ll be able to easily modify them to
answer different interview questions in a way that demonstrates your management
and leadership chops. Remember that management across most functions and roles
largely involves prioritizing and delegating, time management, problem-solving, and
organization. Be sure to showcase those skills in your stories.

Even if a company is extremely focused on having their managers drive the

productivity of their staff to “hit the numbers,” you’ll still need soft skills—such as
emotional intelligence or interpersonal skills—to manage and inspire your team to get
there. Empathy and sensitivity are increasingly valued workplace traits. Show your
capacity for them.

Confidence is good, but don’t over-rehearse

Thorough preparation will help you feel confident and confidence will help the
interviewers see you as a leader. But be careful not to over-rehearse exactly how you
will tell your stories.

You shouldn’t present as overly polished in your interview, says Alli Polin, a
leadership expert and Founder of Break the Frame Consulting. “The company wants
to understand your philosophy and leadership style—not answers learned by rote,”
Polin says.
:
A hiring team is looking for managers and leaders who are relatable and can think on
their feet. Rehearsed speeches can come across as inauthentic.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are likely to come up

In addition to developing their interpersonal skills, managers must be familiar with
DEI principles, resources, and why they matter in the workplace. Be sure to go over
these and be prepared to speak about diversity, equity, and inclusion in an interview.

10
10 interview
interview questions
questions for
for managers—with
managers—with
answers
answers
Besides general talking points, such as “Walk me through your resume” and “Tell me
your biggest weakness,” manager interview questions usually revolve around your
leadership style and skills.

Here are 10 questions for managers you might be asked—and sample answers to help
you ace your interview:

1. “Walk me through a project you led and what made it

successful”
When asking this question, interviewers are looking for your knowledge of people and
project management as well as communication skills. It should be easy for you to
think of the most impactful project you led to answer this question, but a story will
truly demonstrate your abilities.

Saying something like, “We had a goal to acquire 3,000 new customers by March and
we hit it,” reveals a great win, but no leadership skills. Your answer needs to spell out
what you specifically did to influence the successful outcome. The more specifics you
:
include, the better able the interviewer will be able to see your talent and impact.

Here’s an example answer:

I was recently in charge of designing a marketing strategy for a premium version of

our top-selling hiking shoes for new and existing customers on a short timeline. I led
the team through several brainstorming sessions on potential campaigns. Since we
were on a tight schedule, I laid out the exact type of ideas we were looking for ahead
of the meetings and kept a close eye on the clock to make sure the discussions stayed
on topic.

We came up with three campaigns we wanted to pursue, then laid out each step of
all three to really break them down and see if we could implement the work on time.
It became clear that if we wanted high-quality execution, we could either hire
temporary people or implement two of our three ideas by the deadline. It was tough,
but I chose to only focus on two with the existing team rather than risking not
finding the right people to help us on short notice.

To me, quality always wins over quantity. I consulted with the project manager and
the team to determine who was in charge of and responsible for each part of the
campaigns. Together we developed key performance indicators (KPIs), such as how
many customers we wanted to reach and how many interactions would lead to
direct sales. Additionally, each team member came up with two personal goals, such
as: ‘to reach out to colleagues more for input’ and ‘to slow down when I’m rushing
so I don’t make a mistake.’

Lastly, we agreed that if someone was falling short of their deadlines, they needed
to let the rest of the team know through our project management software and we
could discuss the best way to proceed from there. Because we were all so clear on
what needed to be done, who was doing what, and where they were in the process,
we managed to accomplish our first set of goals ahead of schedule and the
:
campaign ultimately exceeded our original sales goal by over 10%.

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2. “How would you describe your leadership style?”

Sometimes it seems that there are as many formulas and paradigms for describing
leadership or management style as there are people to lead. Here are four of the most
commonly referenced:

Direct: Leaders know what they want and aren't afraid to speak up or confront
others

Relational: Managers lead by forming strong connections with others

:
 Visionary: Leaders have big ideas and easily find out-of-the-box solutions

Operational: Managers are focused on the processes of how work gets done

As a leader, you might have two or even three blended styles. For this question, you’ll
want to talk about the style you use most and give examples of when and how it has
worked to get people motivated and do their work more efficiently.

Here’s a sample answer:

I would describe myself as a direct leader. In my last role, I managed a remote team
of copywriters. From day one, I made it clear that I don't micromanage remote
workers. They had the freedom to manage their schedules and tasks as they saw fit,
as long as they delivered reliable results. This approach proved successful, and we
achieved several milestones, such as increasing our conversion rate by 25%.

This might also help: How to answer “What’s Your Management Style?”

3. “Tell me about a decision that was di!cult to make. Did you

consult with anyone?”
Managers are always making decisions, including really tough ones. Some examples
are firing employees who aren’t working out, redistributing work when someone falls
ill, making budget cuts, reporting to upper management that a project has failed, or
promoting one person over another, to name a few. Interviewers want to see that
you’re up to the task.

It’s also useful for hiring managers to see that you include others in your decision-
making, rather than trying to make all the decisions by yourself. Work cultures are
trending away from an overly hierarchical, top-down, command-and-control style of
leadership. A leader who relies on the input and expertise of subordinates and others
in decision-making, also known as a collaborative leader, is often more effective and
:
inclusive than those who do not.

For this question, you’ll want to recap the difficult decision, share your thought
process around how and why you came to the conclusion you did, and tell the
interviewer what actions you took, including who you consulted with along the way.

Here's an example answer:

In my last role as a manager, I had to make the difficult decision to terminate a low-
performing employee. Before finalizing the decision, I discussed the situation with
our director, and together we devised a plan to provide support, consistent with our
strong “everybody deserves a second chance” culture.

I conducted two face-to-face performance review meetings with the employee,

identified areas of improvement, listened to their concerns, and offered advice and
additional training. However, despite these efforts, their performance did not
improve over three months, leading to the decision to terminate their contract.

4. “How have you successfully delegated tasks?”

Managers have to be cognizant of how work is distributed throughout their team.
They need to know the details of who does what and who has authority over final
decisions in shared tasks—plus make sure that these things are clearly
communicated. For example, who needs to see the contents of an email
communication before it gets sent out? Does the email manager or communications
director have final say if they disagree on something in the message?

In addition to seeing that you understand the importance of role clarity, hiring
managers want to be sure that you don’t attempt to take on the entire workload as a
way of making sure it gets done, but rather you effectively delegate tasks. Companies
also want to see that you work to understand the dynamics of your team. Who excels
at what tasks, who needs more time off, and who needs tasks that will challenge them
:
to grow, for example.

Your story for answering this question could include what you did at a time when the
workload was very heavy and you helped the team distribute the work and
collaborate. Your answer can also include what you did when there was a gray area as
to who did what and how you helped straighten it out, or what you did at a time when
a deadline was approaching and the team needed additional resources.

Here's a sample answer:

As a content manager, I led client meetings, created the social media posts timeline,
and reviewed all posts completed by the creative team. Last February, I was
managing my workload while also covering for another content manager who was
absent due to health reasons—essentially tripling my workload, which could have
affected our clients.

Knowing my team well and trusting their abilities, I decided to delegate the task of
creating the social media posts timeline to them, allowing me to focus on preparing
a client presentation. I asked them to brainstorm ideas together and present their
plan for my review.

Fortunately, they were a talented and reliable team who successfully completed the
task. This enabled me to finalize my presentation and secure a new, improved deal
with the client that same week.

5. “How do you establish priorities for yourself and the people

you supervise?”
Sometimes there are a number of projects taking place at once. Hiring managers
know that without clearly agreed-upon priorities, the work environment can become
split and frustrated, waiting for key pieces of work in order to be able to complete
their own tasks and meet deadlines. So how have you—or would you—ensure that
:
members of your team know how to organize their day and what to work on first?

For this question, you can share a story about a time you needed to establish
priorities for yourself at a past job. How did you decide which tasks to attend to first?
If you’ve led a team or been a project manager, what criteria have you used to
determine priorities for the team and how did you communicate them? Make sure the
story is representative of your leadership style.

For example, do you let each worker figure it out on their own or with each other first
and come to you with questions? Or do you step in from the get-go? Does it depend
on the employee or situation? You can also add specifics. Perhaps, you use software
for project management and have daily meetings. Or maybe you coached an employee
on how to manage their time and workload.

Here's an example answer:

I like to work with Trello. In my last opportunity to manage a team, I was given the
difficult task of organizing all the chain of production of social media posts for
clients that were delayed by a week. The current system in place, which was a
spreadsheet, didn't specify who was doing what for which client and what were the
priorities for the week.

So I brought up the idea of using Trello, which is a more intuitive software, and also
have a meeting at the beginning of each to distribute tasks, set deadlines and
determine what were the priorities and what could be done later. With this
approach we were able to catch up on our schedule and finish the month with no
more delayed posts—which definitely made the clients happy.

6. “What is your leadership approach to managing diverse

teams and being sensitive to and inclusive of all your staff?”
Don’t answer this question by simply spouting off the talking points from your last
:
diversity training. You need to show the hiring manager how your values of diversity,
equity, inclusion, and social justice play out in the workplace, says Tameka Nikki
Andrews, who has managed teams in multiple industries, has extensive experience
with DEI work, and is the Founder of the creative consulting agency Flannel and
Blade.

As a manager, you might supervise employees across spectrums of gender, race,

sexuality, age, class, and more, Andrews says. “How are you going to make sure that
your own biases and narratives don’t negatively impact the way you manage people?
How do you effectively create a healthy and productive team, when everyone is so
different from one another?” she says.

It's your responsibility as a manager to be self-aware and educated on DEI best

practices in hiring, performance reviews, and conflict management. Leaders with
unexamined unconscious biases perpetuate the passing over and/or silencing
SIGN INof
people of color, the stealing of ideas (usually by men from women), and the
proliferation of microaggressions ranging from sexually inappropriate to racially
Search
insensitive jobs or companies
comments, to name a few.

Tell a story about how you helped people work across differences by building bridges
to different perspectives and communication styles. Or, maybe, tell a story about how
you learned about differences through making a mistake. Do not explain that you
don’t pay much attention to these issues because you are “colorblind,” are more
focused on hitting goals, or were taught to tolerate other people’s opinions—even if
those opinions are harmful to others.

Here's a sample answer:

It's very important to me to promote a work environment where everyone feels

respected and safe. I always make a point to encourage diversity in every company
I work and have a zero tolerance policy to discrimination. As a People and Culture
:
Manager, I promote workshops about diversity and leverage important dates for
minorities—such as Prinde Month and Junethenth—to create informative materials
and highlight the importance of it.

Read this next: 8 Interview Questions About Diversity and Inclusion Every Job
Seeker Should Be Able to Answer

7. “How do you give feedback and hold people accountable?”

Effectively managing teams means that you will continually be learning new ways to
help people be better at their jobs. You'll have to lead performance reviews and
challenge employees to grow.

For this question, think back to the last time you gave feedback. What have you done
that works? Did someone take your feedback and make an improvement in their
performance? How did that improvement impact the team or initiative at large?
Particularly, if you haven’t managed anyone before, use an example from times you’ve
given feedback to a coworker or even a superior.

If holding others accountable has been difficult, what resources have you relied on to
help you solve the problem? Maybe you consulted with mentors or read up on the
latest trends in employee management. This is the moment when you can share your
overall leadership philosophy—what you believe makes people tick, what constitutes
effective communication, and how to get the best out of the people you manage.

Here's an answer example:

Personally, I like to have face-to-face performance review meetings. If it's feedback

that I have to give right away, I schedule a 15 minute conversation. I explain what I
observed and give the person the opportunity to share if they agree or disagree with
what I'm saying and if there's something I could help them with. I believe in using a
problem-solving approach, instead of an accusatory tone. After all, we are a team,
:
as a manager I would like to help my team succeed.

8. “Describe a time you managed an employee who was

struggling or causing strife”
When asking this question, your interviewer wants to know if you can handle a
sensitive situation and how you’ll go about it. In your preparation for the interview,
think of at least two people you’ve worked with who struggled or disrupted a team’s
work in some way and how you dealt with the difficulties. Then, choose which
situation better exemplifies your management skills and style and makes sense in the
context of your conversation.

Ask yourself: Were the issues about skills gaps, personality differences, attitude
problems, work ethic, inappropriate behavior, or other types of noncompliance?
When you share your story, make sure to describe the employee’s struggles or
behavior and the impact it was having in the workplace, followed by how you
reflected on and dealt with the issue, including what the final outcome of your
intervention was.

You can name a difficult behavior, but don’t disparage the worker, by saying, “They
were a real pain in the neck,” or anything else about them as a person. Your example
also doesn’t have to result in a fairytale ending where everything works out perfectly.
Some employees’ performance or behavior will improve only marginally.

If an employee continues to have or cause problems in the workplace, termination

could be a perfectly fine end to the story as long as you thoroughly explain why and
what steps you took. A story ending with an employee being let go can show your
ability to assess the right staff and/or follow through on ethical standards on behalf of
the company.

Here's an answer example:

:
I once had a really talented direct report who was always late. Timeliness is one of
our company’s core values, and the employee and I discussed and tried to
troubleshoot the issue many times. He would improve, maybe for a week. Senior
management noticed when he arrived late twice to company-wide meetings. I didn’t
know what to do. The thought of firing him really upset me, because he was
talented.

Then, I had an idea. I asked him to take charge of the morning staff meetings: to
review and organize the agendas the night before, introduce the main topic and
structure, and manage the time at the meeting. It was risky to reward someone who
wasn’t following the rules, but frankly, no one else wanted the job. He embraced it
and showed up on time religiously, knowing that the team was depending on him.

9. “What is your ideal vision for company culture and how

have you upheld company values in prior roles?”
“Culture” can be like “leadership”—everyone seems to have their own, slightly original
definition.

Companies “want to know your view on organizational culture to ensure you’re a

strong match for the direction they’re heading,” Polin says. In other words, a
company will compare your personal vision of an ideal culture with the culture they
want to uphold or create to assess if you’re a match.

So to answer this question, reflect on the behaviors, environments, and values that
you believe help groups work best: Is there scheduled company time for socializing
because you believe it helps build teamwork? How should people approach difficult
conversations? Does everyone need to be involved in every decision? Have you ever
participated in establishing a company-wide values, ethics, or culture statement?

Depending on the exact question you were asked, you might go on to discuss how
:
you’ve upheld company culture and values. How have you ensured that company
values are upheld in interactions—for example, have you spoken up when something
didn’t seem right? How did you foster company values in your direct reports or your
colleagues? The ability to translate values into action requires loyalty, awareness, and
commitment—traits that are invaluable to a company.

Here's a sample answer:

My ideal vision for a company's values and culture would prioritize passion and
innovation. I firmly believe that people perform best when they believe in what
they're doing. In my last two management positions, I worked for companies that
emphasized creativity and innovation. As a team manager, I always made it a point
to encourage my team to bring forward new ideas for our projects. There was never
a sense of right or wrong; we took what didn't work initially and continued
brainstorming until we arrived at a final solution.

10. “What are your plans for your team’s professional

development?”
The best managers are not just invested in their teams’ present, but in their future as
well, and interviewers want to see that you’ve thought about how your employees can
continue to learn and grow. Being able to truly support individual employees in their
professional growth means you have to get to know them.

The only way to learn of your staff’s potential is to be an observant leader, looking out
for their strengths and opportunities for improvement. This takes time. You can make
it clear that in order to answer this question fully, you’ll want to be able to see your
staff in action for at least six months before you can determine what training would
benefit them most. Then you can give some examples of what professional
development you might suggest.
:
You should also be familiar with the relevant industry conferences, certifications, and
what they offer. Take the time to learn which ones are best suited to the organization
and position you’re interviewing for and why. Get specific about what you’d want
each role on your team to get from the possible development opportunities you
suggest. What do you want your customer service employees to learn about conflict
resolution and why? Do you want your team to be proficient at public speaking to
what end?

You can also share any past experiences of supporting employees taking on a training
or advanced education and how it impacted them, the team, and the company. If
you’re not an experienced manager, you can share what professional development
training you’ve benefited from in order to vouch for why you think it’s useful for staff.

Here's a sample answer:

As a manager of a sales team, my plan for my team's development would be to offer

stipends for certifications and workshops to help them improve their
communication skills, presentation, and conflict resolution abilities. I believe these
skills are fundamental for workers in customer-facing roles, since it can directly
affect the business.

Frequently
Frequently asked
asked questions
questions
What type of questions are asked in a manager interview?
Management candidates are usually asked about their leadership style, conflict
resolution skills, and problem-solving abilities. You can also expect common
interview questions like “Tell me about yourself,” “Where do you see yourself in five
years?,” or “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

How to answer interview questions for a manager position?

:
Most questions can be effectively answered with an anecdote showcasing a situation
where you demonstrated a skill relevant to that position. Hiring managers often
appreciate knowing the outcome of your actions, so be sure to include the results of
your decisions. Try to keep your answers balanced—not too short, not too long.

How to ace a manager interview?

To ace a manager interview, practice answering common questions on management
style, leadership skills, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. It's helpful to
rehearse your responses with a friend or family member beforehand, if you can. Study
the job description and the company's value and mission to understand what they're
looking for in a candidate and how your skills can help them achieve their goals.

In
In conclusion
conclusion
So many situations in your life, at work and otherwise, have prepared you to be in
charge. If you’ve taken the time to look back on many of the moments that got you to
this one, you’re on your way to acing your next interview for a management position.
And don’t forget that, while a company is interviewing you, you are also assessing if
they are a good match and if this is where you want to spend the next phase of your
career.

Amanda Cardoso contributed to the latest version of this article.

Blair Glaser is an executive leadership consultant who helps leaders and teams learn the
:
 skills they need to communicate and collaborate effectively. She’s also a writer and
storyteller whose essays on intimacy, leadership, and authority have appeared online at
Greatist, Feminist.com, Huffington Post, Elephant Journal, and more. She's completed a
memoir about living in an ashram in her 20’s. Learn more at blairglaser.com, and follow her
on Twitter and Instagram.

MORE FROM BLAIR GLASER

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